Study Questions
1. What book does the narrator find in his room?

2. What memories does the book awaken?

3. What does the narrator briefly consider doing with the letters?

4. Where does the narrator ride the subway to the next morning?

5. To whose office does the narrator go?

6. What is the man’s receptionist like?

7. Is the narrator able to meet the man he went to see?

8. What are one or two of the narrator’s specific worries?

9. To which two people does the narrator write letters?

10. What ray of hope does the narrator receive at the end of the chapter?

Answers
1. The narrator finds a Gideon Bible in his room.

2. The Bible awakens memories of both Dr. Bledsoe quoting from it during speeches, and of family prayer around the dinner table.

3. The narrator briefly considers trying to steam the letters open.

4. The narrator takes the subway to the Wall Street district.

5. The narrator first goes to Mr. Bates’ office.

6. The receptionist at Mr. Bates’ office is a young woman, whom the narrator summarizes as “kind and interested,” though he had expected that she would act antagonistically toward him.

7. No, the narrator is not able to meet Mr. Bates, who is too busy to see him.

8. The narrator is specifically worried about his lack of money, and by lingering thoughts that Dr. Bledsoe and Mr. Norton were somehow acting against him.

9. The narrator writes letters to Mr. Emerson and to Mr. Norton.

10. The narrator receives a ray of hope at the end of the chapter in the form of a letter from Mr. Emerson.